BBVA Select Credit Card Review

Who is the BBVA Select Credit Card for?

The BBVA Select credit card is an exciting offer for BBVA fans and frequent travelers. With extensive benefits and a customizable rewards rate, this card has something for everyone. Pairing this with a sleek silver look, and this card is truly a traveler’s best friend.

The four tiers of rewards and the BBVA Compass Build Your Own Rewards plan both help any cardholder reap the most benefits possible from this card. If your spending habits don’t coincide with the point values for this card, simply adjust and build your own plan. This feature makes this card useful to everyone, from dining enthusiasts to travel fans.

Despite its benefits, this card is only available for some. Primarily, the only way to apply for this card is at a BBVA bank. BBVA banks are only located primarily in these states: Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California, and New Mexico. This restriction severely limits the audience of this card. If you meet these requirements, this card is a good choice. However, if you don’t live in one of these states or use BBVA banks, this card may not be the best choice.

Rewards Rate

The BBVA Select Credit Card has many tiers of rewards rates to ensure maximum reward potential. These multiple levels coincide with the frequency of typical spending, and allow certain categories to earn points faster than others. This card does not limit the amount of points you earn, so no matter how many points you already have, you can keep earning. 

At the highest rate of 4x points per dollar is the Entertainment category. Any expenses spent on entertainment such as movies or sports games will earn you 4x rewards points. This rewards rate is pretty high, so if you often go out to see various entertainment events, this card is an ideal one for you.

Aside from entertainment purchases, dining purchases earn cardholders 3x points per dollar. This category includes restaurants and groceries. Just by grocery shopping or eating out as you typically do can boost you towards your next reward.

Similarly, you can keep earning points by making everyday purchases on gas. Gas falls into the Travel category, a subset that gives you 2x bonus points per dollar spent. If you are a frequent traveler, this is a fast way for you to rack up points.

For all other purchases made using your card, you earn 1x points per dollar. This policy ensures that as long as you are using your card, you are receiving benefits, no matter what items you purchase.

If your spending habits don’t align with the preset reward tiers, BBVA allows you to customize your own reward plan. The BBVA Compass Build Your Own Rewards program lets you decide which categories earn how many points. You can set one category to earn 3x points and two more to earn 2x. Not a food enthusiast but a fan of traveling? Simply set Travel as 3x and Dining as 2x for maximum points. You can change your settings every 90 days, so if your spending habits change, you can tailor your rewards plan to these changes. 

Benefits

The BBVA Select card offers a variety of exciting benefits that reward any cardholder. Cardholders receive benefits specific to this card, as well as benefits that come with holding a Visa card. For frequent travelers, many of these perks are very attractive.

Exclusive to this card, users earn 1,000 additional points if you spend $5,000 a month. Unlike the welcome bonus, which is limited to a specific timeframe, this perk allows you to keep receiving 1,000 points (worth $10) for every month you spend $5,000 dollars on using your card. For cardholders who use this card enough to make the target, this perk is an extra little reward for spending.

For BBVA Premier Personal Banking members, this card is available for no annual fee. Furthermore, your application will be streamlined and processed faster than other applicants. If you are a Premier Personal Banking customer, no card could offer a better deal. You would be able to enjoy all the rewards of this card with no charge.

If you buy an eligible item using this card, then later find the same item for a lower price, Price Protection will reimburse you the difference. If a recently bought item is stolen or damaged, Purchase Security will cover these expenses. For those who care about data security, this card provides Zero Liability, which doesn’t hold you accountable for any unauthorized purchases. For shoppers who frequently run into these issues, this card is perfect for you.

Select credit cardholders also enjoy all the Visa perks. By having this card, you can access the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, giving you an automatic room upgrade, complimentary breakfast for two, food and drink credit, and late check-out. These perks can transform any traveler's experience, and are must-haves for frequent hotel-stayers. Additionally, cardholders have access to Hertz Gold Plus membership, expanding your rental car choices and providing other small experience enhancers.

Other Visa benefits include Roadside Dispatch, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation/Interruption, and Travel Accident Insurance. These perks aid in making your travel experience smoother in case of any unexpected situation. If you travel often for business or leisure, these benefits are essential to a positive experience.

Finally, Visa cardholders enjoy Visa Signature Concierge, a service that helps you book hotels and exclusive entertainment tickets. Sporting and entertainment event enthusiasts will really benefit from this perk.

Welcome Bonus

The BBVA Select Credit Card offers a decent-sized welcome bonus. If you spend $4,000 using your card in the first 90 days of account opening, you will receive 50,000 bonus points. These points can be used toward items on the BBVA Rewards website as large as a family vacation. 50,000 points are worth $500 based on the credit card site. This is a sizable amount, so be sure to plan accordingly to meet that $4,000 target.

Annual Fee

For the first year, the BBVA Select Credit Card costs nothing to have. However, beginning in the second year, this card has an annual fee of $99. This fee is somewhat high compared to other rewards cards, so before applying, decide if the benefits are worth it to you. For those who frequently take advantage of this card’s variety of benefits, this card is well worth the price. On the other hand, for those who will rarely use this card’s rewards, a less expensive card may be a smarter choice.

This card has no foreign transaction fee, which is beneficial for frequent travelers. Given the travel focus of some rewards, many cardholders may travel often. No foreign transaction fee allows cardholders to use their card freely abroad without incurring miscellaneous charges. Paired with the various travel benefits offered by this card, this perk of no foreign transaction fee is primed for those who spend substantial time abroad.

The Select credit card has late fees and return fees. Late fees can range up to $37 and return fees, up to $20. To avoid them, simply make your payments correctly and with time to spare.

Conclusion

The BBVA Select Credit Card is a handy tool for frequent travelers and BBVA bank fans. Though having an annual fee after the first year, this card’s many perks are well worth the price if used often. However, because of this card’s extreme location limitations, it is only available to few.

You can apply for the BBVA Select Credit Card online here.